The Passion (2016), FOX
Until it's "time" for a holiday season, we rarely discuss the religious genre of film and TV, despite its origins dating back to the beginning of Hollywood's inception. From the classic movie, The Ten Commandments (1956) to the fantastical Christian allegorical trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010), the genre has repeatedly realized mainstream success while often generating significant controversy with the public. In most recent years, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (2014) grossed over $362 million worldwide but received backlash from leaders of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim institutions as many were offended by his interpretation of the biblical story. We also can recall the box office success of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, which grossed 611.9 million with a modest 30 million dollar production budget. This film, much more so than Noah, provoked an intense controversial response as some believed the film was "anti-semitic". When analyzing a filmic genre that not only appeals to a widespread audience but also instigates the deeply rooted polemic issues of history is a particularly interesting cultural paradox to grapple even for the entertainment industry.
Today, although society has evidently become more secularized, faith based films or TV shows still hold the potential to become “revenue generating” productions with significant viewership. For example, in 2013, The Bible, a 10-part miniseries that unfolds the story of “Genesis to Revelation”, attracted over 100 million viewers—turning the “The History Channel” into one of the most watched cable networks according to Nielsen ratings. More recently, the movie Heaven Is For Real (2014), based on a “New York Times Best Seller”, grossed 103 million, and even God’s Not Dead (2014), a film with a sloppy storyline and poor acting earned a surprising $57 million.
Netflix is also recognizing the profit turning potential of the religious genre, as it will be “eternally” streaming Tyler Perry’s The Passion, a musical that presents a modern day spin on Jesus Christ's last days on earth. Before the production makes it way to Netflix, it will follow the traction earned by Grease’s recent TV movie in January by airing live on FOX during the evening of Palm Sunday (March 20th). In addition, the musical will be filmed at various locations around the city of New Orleans, Perry’s hometown. Executive Producer, Adam Anders, describes the show as “ a timeless story everyone can relate to” featuring familiar songs by popular artists like Seal and Chris Daughtry. The Passion, in ways, sounds like a reminiscent revival of the 1973 rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. However, Perry is no stranger to producing, directing, and starring in films with religious messaging.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's classical opera - Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 Version)
Regardless of whether a filmic interpretation of a pious icon is “accurate” or receives “backlash” from the various parties involved in the "old as time" argument concerning who is “right”, it seems evident, by proof of ratings or box office numbers, that the masses are intrigued. People are still seeking to identify with some origin of faith regardless of how fragmented religious communities have become in the past 50 years. It appears the challenge lies in how to approach the subject with respect, thus not pushing an ulterior agenda that has the potential to further exacerbate the war on or between religions.